1. Field
The disclosed system and method relate to a network facsimile apparatus, and more particularly to a network facsimile apparatus which can relay electronic mail to a destination facsimile machine.
2. Discussion
Network facsimile machines have been developed which exchange E-mail (electronic mail) with other terminals via a local area network and the Internet and, in addition, exchange facsimile data with other facsimile machines via a public switched telephone network (PSTN) using facsimile communications procedures. Such network facsimile machines can relay facsimile image information to a destination facsimile machine in response to receiving, over a local area network of the Internet, E-mail that contains such facsimile image information and a telephone number for the destination facsimile machine. By using a local area network or the Internet for a part of the transmission path, a user can benefit from cost savings as compared with transmitting the same information directly to the destination facsimile machine using only conventional facsimile transmission through the PSTN.
E-mail as widely used in various communications systems, including local area networks and the Internet, can use multipurpose Internet mail extensions (MIME) format to convey not only a text message but also a data file that contains arbitrary data that may be text data and/or image data. However, a Group 3 facsimile machine uses a different format to transmit a data file that contains arbitrary data that can be text data and/or image dataxe2x80x94it uses an error correction mode (ECM) protocol.
It is believed that there has not been a practical system in which a network facsimile machine can reliably relay to a destination facsimile machine, E-mail containing not only facsimile data which already is in the appropriate format for transmission between facsimile machines over but also arbitrary data that can include a text message as well as image data.
The disclosed system and method provide a novel network facsimile machine and network facsimile method of relaying E-mail to a destination facsimile machine.
In a particular and non-limiting example of the disclosed system and method, a novel network facsimile machine includes an electronic mail receiver for receiving electronic mail via a local area network and the Internet, a facsimile transmitter for transmitting facsimile data including facsimile image information and a facsimile data file through facsimile communications procedures via PSTN, a mail analyzer for analyzing if received electronic mail is a relay transmission mail and if a received relay transmission mail includes text and for reading a telephone number of a destination facsimile machine from the received relay transmission mail, and a relay transmission controller for converting the received electronic mail into facsimile image information when the mail analyzer determines that the received electronic mail is a relay transmission mail and includes text and into a facsimile transfer data file when the mail analyzer determines that the received electronic mail is a relay transmission mail and includes non-text contents and for transmitting one of the facsimile image information and the facsimile transfer data file through the facsimile transmitter to the destination facsimile machine having the telephone number read by the mail analyzer from the received relay transmission mail.
In another non-limiting example of the disclosed system and method, a network facsimile machine includes an electronic mail receiver for receiving electronic mail via a local area network and the Internet, a facsimile transmitter for transmitting facsimile data including facsimile image information and a facsimile data file through facsimile communications procedures via a public switched telephone network, a mail analyzer for determining whether electronic mail received through the electronic mail receiver is a multi-part relay transmission mail and whether each part of a received multi-part relay transmission mail includes text and for reading a telephone number of a destination facsimile machine from the received relay transmission mail, and a relay transmission controller for converting each relevant part of the received electronic mail into facsimile image information when the mail analyzer determines that the received electronic mail is a multi-part relay transmission mail and includes at least one part which is text and into a facsimile transfer data file when the mail analyzer determines that the received electronic mail is a multi-part relay transmission mail and includes at least one non-text part and for transmitting all of the facsimile image information and all of the facsimile transfer data files in one transmission session through the facsimile transmitter to the destination facsimile machine having the telephone number read by the mail analyzer from the received relay transmission mail.
In a non-limiting example, a novel method of electronic mail relay transmission includes the steps of receiving electronic mail via a local area network and the Internet, transmitting facsimile data including facsimile image information and a facsimile data file through facsimile communications-procedures via a public switched telephone network, analyzing to determine whether electronic mail received through the electronic mail receiver is a relay transmission mail and whether a received relay transmission mail includes text, reading a telephone number of a destination facsimile machine from the received relay transmission mail, converting the received electronic mail into facsimile image information when the mail analyzer determines that the received electronic mail is a relay transmission mail and includes text and into a facsimile transfer data file when the mail analyzer determines that the received electronic mail is a relay transmission mail and includes non-text contents, and transmitting one of the facsimile image information and the facsimile transfer data file through the facsimile transmitter to the destination facsimile machine having the telephone number read by the mail analyzer from the received relay transmission mail.
In yet another non-limiting example, a novel method of electronic mail relay transmission includes the steps of receiving electronic mail via a local area network and the Internet, transmitting facsimile data including facsimile image information and a facsimile data file through facsimile communications procedures via a public switched telephone network, analyzing whether an electronic mail received through the electronic mail receiver is a multi-part relay transmission mail and whether each part of a received multi-part relay transmission mail includes text, reading a telephone number of a destination facsimile machine from the received relay transmission mail, converting the parts of the content of the received electronic mail into facsimile image information when the mail analyzer determines that the received electronic mail is a multi-part relay transmission mail and includes at least one text part and into a facsimile transfer data file when the mail analyzer determines that the received electronic mail is a multi-part relay transmission mail and includes at least one non-text part, and transmitting all of the facsimile image information and all of the facsimile transfer data files by one transmission time through the facsimile transmitter to the destination facsimile machine having the telephone number read by the mail analyzer from the received relay transmission mail.
Other features and advantages of the disclosed system and method will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. JPAP09-084633 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Mar. 19, 1997, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.